Tips for proper feeding of dogs. Sample menu: what to feed your dog at home? Are there any breed specific features of a dog’s diet?

Feeding a dog is a serious matter. After all, every owner wants to see their pet healthy and cheerful, and this largely depends on the correct organization of feeding.

The dog is practically an omnivore. However, anyone who believes that a dog’s diet is no different from the food on our table is mistaken. The dog does not have a refined human taste and does not require all kinds of herbs and spices; moreover, in this way the dog’s taste can be distorted.

Nutrition must be balanced in accordance with the physiological needs of the animal. Both insufficient and excessive feeding are harmful to the dog’s body. Feeding determines the rate of growth and development of dogs; the nature of feeding affects their health. Improper feeding of puppies worsens the dog’s physique and negatively affects growth and weight. For the same reason, various diseases of the digestive system and metabolic disorders occur. Poor nutrition in males and females has a negative impact on the offspring.

Dogs' nutritional needs vary. This is due to factors such as time of year, place of residence, age, workload. A dog needs proteins, fats, carbohydrates, vitamins, mineral salts and trace elements. A complete diet includes animal and plant foods in certain proportions. In addition, the dog needs water.

A healthy animal should eat enough food to keep the bowl empty. Adult dogs should eat once a day, as their energy expenditure is minimal. Dogs living outside are given food twice a day in winter. Dogs are fed twice a day during heavy physical activity and in some special cases.

The volume of food and its calorie content are different concepts. The easiest way to determine whether the volume of food is sufficient is on the sides of your dog: if the sides after eating are significantly rounded (there is a sharp increase in the abdomen), then the volume of food is sufficient or even large. You may need to change your diet, which will be discussed below.

Periodically, the animals are given a fasting day to cleanse the body of toxins. This should be done at least once a month and no more than once a week. In principle, a healthy animal, feeling the sludge in the body, arranges for itself to starve. If your dog has no appetite, you should not force feed it or give it treats. But if loss of appetite continues for several days, you should contact your veterinarian to find out the cause.

Both under- and over-nutrition of dogs is harmful. If the dog’s constitution is not inclined to be overweight, you can add more pasta, cereals, rolled oats, which all dogs love very much, to the food, but you can get by with bread. Overfeeding an animal can lead to obesity and related diseases. Such an animal evokes pity.

An adult dog is fed once or twice a day at the same time. In nurseries, animals are fed once a day, usually in the afternoon. The peculiarities of feeding puppies, males during mating, and whelping and lactating females are discussed in separate sections. Working (working and hunting) dogs are fed two to three hours after returning, when the dog is well rested. In general, dogs should be fed after a walk - then they have a better appetite.

Dogs are carnivores by nature. This determines the characteristics of their digestion. Digestion begins in the mouth. The food is chewed and at the same time moistened with saliva. The intensity of saliva secretion depends on the nature of the food: less saliva is secreted for watery food than for dry food. Unlike other animals, food in a dog’s mouth is almost not subject to chemical digestion. Food begins to be digested in the stomach. The dog's stomach is single-stone and quite spacious. The stomach secretes gastric juice, which contains enzymes that digest food. Different foods are digested at different speeds. The food then passes from the stomach to the intestines in portions, where it is acted upon by intestinal juice, pancreatic juice and bile. The time it takes for food to pass through the digestive canal is approximately 12–15 hours, while plant foods are digested much faster – in 4–6 hours. The dog digests meat by about half in two hours, and almost completely after 12 hours. Under normal feeding conditions, a healthy dog ​​empties the rectum two to three times a day.

Meat is the most nutritious food. Any meat is suitable for dogs: beef, pork, horse meat, lamb, meat of wild animals, birds, rodents, etc. Raw meat is healthier than boiled meat. Lean meat of lower grades is more suitable for feeding. Fatty meats can cause digestive upset. The daily intake of meat varies and depends on age, body weight, physiological state and load. The approximate norm for an adult dog with average physical activity with a body weight of 35 kg is approximately 400 g per day.

Meat by-products are actively used to feed dogs: liver, kidneys, brains, lung, tripe, udder, meat trimmings, fetlock joints, heads, etc. Dogs are also fed blood obtained during slaughter. Fresh clean cattle blood is fed in its raw form within 3-4 hours after receiving it. In other cases, they give boiled or dried blood (blood meal), but in small quantities (up to 50 g per day).

To avoid the possibility of infecting your pet with helminths, meat can be heat treated. .

When feeding a dog natural food, the diet should contain bones, and they begin to give bones from a fairly early age - puppies from two to three months. When teeth change at four to five months, the bones are replaced with cartilage. The most nutritious bones of young animals with cartilage. A long-term lack of bones in a dog's diet leads to a weakening of the skeleton. Tubular bones should not be given, as they splinter easily and can injure the animal’s mouth and throat. It must be remembered that eating a large number of bones leads to constipation. In the fourth or fifth year of life, the bone ration is usually reduced by half. You should not give bones to dogs after suffering from gastrointestinal diseases. Boiled bones have virtually no value.

Stale meat (“smelly”) is quite suitable for feeding to dogs and is easier for them to digest.

Meat and bone meal and meat and bone sawdust are usually added to feed. Fish and fish waste are a great addition to a dog's diet. In terms of nutritional value, they are not inferior to meat and meat by-products. For feeding, they use low-grade fish that are of little use to humans. Dogs can be given both raw and boiled fish (boiled in water without seasoning). Before feeding, sharp bones are removed from the fish, large fish are freed from scales. You need to be sure that the fish is of good quality.

When feeding a dog natural food, the diet contains milk, dairy products and their waste. It is better to use fermented milk products: kefir or yogurt. Milk is fed raw. Skim milk (skim milk) is also fed raw or fermented; Skim milk serves as a source of protein instead of meat. From dairy waste, whey and buttermilk are fed to dogs and used to make porridge.

Cottage cheese is an excellent food. Adult dogs are fed cottage cheese instead of meat. Cottage cheese is an excellent dietary product for sick dogs.

It must be remembered that dairy products cannot be stored in galvanized containers, since the combination of lactic acid with zinc causes catarrh of the mucous membranes of the gastrointestinal tract and can lead to stomach and duodenal ulcers.

Raw chicken eggs are used as additional nutrition (only the yolk is given); boiled eggs are fed whole.

Animal fats are given to dogs in the cold season as additional food to the main diet and in small quantities.

A significant part of the diet consists of feed products of plant origin. These include, first of all, a variety of cereals - oatmeal, rice, buckwheat, rolled oats, etc. Bread, cereals and flour of cereal plants are a valuable source of carbohydrates and minerals.

Porridges are cooked in meat and bone broth or in whey or water. Bread is added to milk, stew or soup. It is preferable to feed stale bread. Wheat bread is higher in calories than rye bread. The amount of bread fed to an adult dog should be limited to 200–300 g. Bread is a heavy food, it is difficult to digest and lingers in the stomach for 3–4 hours. Feeding large amounts of bread causes gas in your dog's intestines and can lead to constipation.

Flour is used to prepare stew or mash. A significant part of a dog’s diet consists of vegetables and root crops - up to 10 percent of the daily calorie content of food. Potatoes are the most popular because they have the highest nutritional value. However, it is difficult to digest, so it is fed boiled in combination with other vegetables. Cabbage is used to feed dogs, both fresh and pickled. The dog must be given raw grated carrots, and sometimes freshly boiled beets. Fresh lettuce, carrot and beet tops are chopped into the food as additives. Fresh nettle is extremely useful: young shoots are doused with hot water and crumbled into food. Dogs can be fed sorrel, tomatoes, small amounts of onions and garlic. You can give your dog raw fruit in reasonable quantities.

Yeast, vitamin preparations, bone meal, fish oil, eggshells passed through a coffee grinder, table salt, etc. are used as feed additives.

A variety of meat, meat-vegetable and other products are widely used. As a rule, canned food is fed along with cereal products. Dry food has a good effect. In principle, a dog does not need much variety in its diet, much less seasonings and spices. Dogs feel better when they have food they have adapted to. New products or components must be introduced into the diet very carefully, observing the behavior and condition of the animal. If your dog feels well, always has a steady appetite and properly disposed excrement, then you have found the optimal diet for your pet.

At any time of the year, the dog needs fresh drinking water. Water should be in a separate bowl and available to the animal at any time. You should not allow your dog to drink water from puddles and swamps while walking, as this is fraught with diseases.

During feeding, you should not disturb the dog, much less try to take food away from it. Only hunting dogs must unconditionally move away from the bowl at the request of the owner.

The dog's food should not be hot or cold, not dry, but not liquid. The dishes must be unbreakable and of sufficient volume. The inner surface of the bowl should be perfectly smooth. The place for feeding should be determined once and for all. The feeder should be at the level of the dog's elbow. After eating, the dishes must be washed, and leftover food is thrown away or stored in the refrigerator.

It is almost impossible to specify the exact diet for feeding dogs. As already mentioned, it depends on many factors. The approximate daily feeding rate for working and hunting dogs is as follows: meat – 400–600 g, cereal – 400–800 g, vegetables and root crops – 200–400 g, table salt – 10–15 g.

An empty and cleanly licked bowl indicates that your pet has enough food. If the dog looks at you pleadingly or barks, next time you need to slightly increase the portion. Eventually you will find the optimal amount of food.

You should not give dogs table scraps containing herbs and spices, or large amounts of salt. You should not give your dog sweets, especially chocolate and candy.

There are some peculiarities in feeding breeding dogs. Thus, male dogs are constantly maintained in factory conditions. During the period up to two years, the diet of such males is practically no different from the diet of other dogs. But then their diet is changed somewhat so that the dog is, as they say, “in the body.” Males begin to be prepared for mating two months before use. The diet includes at least 70 percent meat and meat by-products. Easily digestible and not very bulky feeds are preferred. During the mating season, males are given a raw egg daily or every other day. The diet must include raw liver, as well as raw vegetables: lettuce, sorrel, nettle. The frequency of feeding also changes: as a rule, male dogs are fed two to three times a day during the mating season, without, however, increasing the volume of food. After mating, the male is fed two to three hours later.

Feeding bitches has its own characteristics. They begin to prepare for mating two months in advance. During the period of preparation for fertilization, animals are fed vegetable stews with the addition of a small amount of meat and offal. Twice a week, the stew is replaced with low-fat cottage cheese with the addition of a raw egg, and raw fish is given.

After mating, the diet is not changed for about a month, but the number of feedings per day is increased to 3–4 times. In the third week of pregnancy, bitches often vomit and sometimes refuse to feed. There is no need to worry, as this is a normal physiological reaction of the body, everything goes away on its own in about a week.

At 5–6 weeks, the nutritional value of the diet should be increased by approximately one and a half times by adding mainly meat or meat by-products, fish and cottage cheese. The animal is usually fed three times a day. Crushed calcium lactate tablets, feed chalk, and activated carbon are added to the feed; all this is about half a teaspoon once a day.

In the last two weeks, the bitch is fed up to five times a day. A significant portion of the diet at this time consists of meat, fatty cottage cheese and milk. Exclude rye bread, potatoes and grains. To avoid constipation, add half a teaspoon of ground flaxseed to your diet.

The period of lactation (milk secretion) in bitches lasts from one to one and a half months. This depends on the individual characteristics of the animal and its feeding.

In the first six hours after whelping, the dog is not fed, but only a drinking bowl with clean water is provided. Over the next two days, the food should be easily digestible. Feed is given five to six times a day. From the fourth day they switch to the usual diet with the difference that the animal is given more cottage cheese and milk, fresh vegetables and herbs are desirable, fish oil and bone meal must be added. To improve lactation, it is useful to give surrogate coffee with milk and honey as a drink 2-3 times a day, and also feed a walnut at each feeding. It is also necessary to give 0.5–1 tablet of apilac 4 times a day.

The diet and feeding of puppies are very different. In the first week of life, puppies feed exclusively on mother's milk. Feeding should begin from the moment the puppies become sighted. Puppies are fed fresh whole cow's milk, preheated to a temperature of 25–30 degrees. You can add a raw chicken egg to milk at the rate of one egg per liter of milk. Milk is fed from a bottle with a nipple, and later the puppy is taught to lap from a bowl. To do this, pour a little milk into a small bowl and carefully poke the puppy’s muzzle into the milk. In the first week of feeding, a healthy puppy eats approximately 200 g of milk per day. Starting from day 14, white bread is crumbled into milk and minced meat is given - approximately 20-30 g per day. In the third week, liquid porridges made from semolina or pureed rolled oats are added to the diet; Now the puppy requires about 250 g of milk per day. At this time, they begin to give grated carrots as a source of vitamin A, which is very necessary at this age.

The norm for feeding puppies at the age of 10–15 days is approximately 100 g, at the age of 16 to 20 days the norm increases to 150 g, at the age of 21–30 days it is 200 g. (We are talking about large breeds; for small puppies the norm is half amount from the above.) Feed the puppies 3-4 times a day in equal portions. At 30-40 days of age, puppies are weaned from their mother.

When bringing a four-legged friend into the home, each owner takes responsibility for providing the pet with proper care. The most important factor in a pet’s health is therefore the largest expense item will be food.

The amounts fluctuate significantly; they are influenced by breed, age, type of keeping (free-run or caged), pregnancy, activity and much more.

The main thing is to remember that the more care you take for your dog, the healthier it will be, the less hassle and problems.

Prohibited Products

Milk, lamb, pork, salt, sugar.

Adults have a special microflora of the gastrointestinal tract. It does not allow milk to be broken down and absorbed, so this drink is prohibited for adult organisms. The exception is puppies up to four months old. But fermented milk products are healthy and desirable.

Also Under no circumstances should you give pork and lamb. It is these varieties that cause severe stomach upset and are hard on the liver. In addition, pork often contains the distemper virus.

Attention! Almost everything that makes human food tastier is strictly prohibited from being added to dog food.

First of all, this is salt, which should be a minimum amount in the diet, and sugar. Sugar disrupts not only the liver, but also affects all mucous tissues, in particular, the eyes can not only water, but also fester. Spicy and flavoring additives are harmful. They negatively affect the sense of smell.

Recommended Products

Bones, raw meat, fresh fruits and vegetables.

Raw meat is a natural and nutritious food for a dog's body.

Attention! Raw meat should be given in small pieces, after keeping the whole piece in boiling water for a couple of minutes and only then cutting it.

It is also recommended to give bones regularly. But only after the dental apparatus has fully formed. Bones are an excellent source of minerals. It is advisable to give them raw. The exception is pork, lamb and poultry bones: they must be excluded from the diet.

Fresh fruits and vegetables must be part of the diet. In addition to vitamins, they contain a significant amount of coarse fiber.

The difference between the diet of an adult dog and the diet of a puppy

Remember that an adult dog's diet is different from a puppy's. And there is no abrupt transition, today there is one food, and tomorrow another. The change occurs gradually as the puppy grows.

Diet adjustments occur weekly. New products are added, dairy products are reduced. As the puppy's dental system develops, bones appear on the menu. The number of feedings is reduced, An adult dog is fed twice a day, morning and evening. In rare cases - once a day.

The diet of males and pregnant females, small dogs and large ones, young and elderly, healthy and sick is also different. This specificity makes it difficult to independently compile a menu and diet based on natural products. As a last resort, consult a veterinarian.

Diet for large dogs

What to feed a large dog at home? The diet of large dogs does not differ radically from the diet of medium and small breeds. The main thing is to maintain the proportions of the products included in the menu. The main difference is only in the volume of portions. You should also make allowances for the characteristics of the breed.

Diet

An adult dog should be fed twice a day, morning and evening, in equal parts. It is best to give meat at night. And be sure to remove the bowl 20-25 minutes after the start of feeding, regardless of whether there is food left in the bowl. And the water must be constantly, clean and fresh.

Important! Do not allow leftover food to remain in the bowl after feeding your pet - throw it away.

Puppies are fed more often, 3-4 times a day. The daily diet must be completely balanced, and take into account the breed, age, weight, activity and conditions of detention. This is why it is extremely difficult to calculate your diet on your own.

Common Mistakes

Dogs have been living with humans for over twenty thousand years; they are almost family members. But at the same time, the owners do not stop making mistakes. Here are the most common:

• overfeeding The dog's instinct tells her to eat, but the food does not immediately cause a feeling of fullness, and she continues to pass;
• mixing dry food and natural food;
• desire to overly diversify food. But A dog doesn't need variety. She needs a complete, balanced diet;
• a sharp transition from natural feeding to dry feeding. Any change must be smooth, gradual. The body will adapt to new conditions;
• lack of fiber, vitamins, minerals. In other words, The dog should not be fed only meat. Feed with cereals, and it is advisable to give fruits and vegetables raw;
• lack of clean drinking water. The reason is the forgetfulness of the owners;
• mistake - feeding from your table. Food for people is not good for dogs; it is strictly contraindicated for them. It is impossible to cause more harm to pets. The dog must know that it is forbidden to ask or eat if the guest suddenly shares. Be kind to your four-legged friends, don't feed them from the table!

Dogs are faithful, devoted friends of humans. They perform hunting, guard or decorative functions and improve a person’s life, giving friendship and loyalty. But a person must take care of them, his pets, in return. First of all, you need to feed the way the dogs need it, and not the way it seems right. The efforts of owners, together with veterinarians and food manufacturers, can turn a dog’s life into heaven.

Additionally, check out the video about the best way to feed your pet:

Preface

Proper natural food for a dog is mostly a monotonous, species-specific diet that does not require heat treatment, mainly consisting of fermented milk products of medium fat content, raw meat or raw offal (heart, tripe, kidneys, etc.) and plant foods (vegetables and some unsweetened fruits) in raw form, as well as in the form of bran from cereals as an additive to the main diet.

Actually, cereals (porridge and other flour products) should not be present in the dog’s diet. Porridges and products made from or with the addition of flour contain easily digestible carbohydrates, which can cause disruption of the intestinal microflora, as well as a decrease in resistance, in all dogs and cats, which are known to be carnivores. The state of the animal’s health directly depends on the state of the intestine, which is a key organ not only in digestion, but also in providing the defense system (resistance and immunity of the body). Thus, the presence of dysbiosis in the intestines, which is facilitated by disturbances in the diet, can lead to the development of a host of pathological processes, including an increased tendency to allergies, disruption of the functioning of internal organs, the occurrence of a number of chronic inflammatory diseases and obesity, often associated with each other.

The health and resistance of animals depends very much on nutrition; the state of the gastrointestinal tract and healthy intestinal microflora play a very important role in this. If your dog's diet includes cereal or commercial dry food that contains from 40 to 55% grains, corn or sweet potatoes, then you cannot expect normal, healthy intestinal microflora. However, even with a natural diet, digestive disorders are possible, indicating a painful condition of the dog.

Meat in a dog's diet

The main meat in a dog’s diet is lean beef, maybe not the first grade. It is not necessary or even advisable to feed your dog tenderloin and other high-quality meats. It is allowed to feed dogs of all ages lamb, horse meat, and rabbit meat, given the high calorie content of lamb and rabbit meat. It is not recommended to give pork.

Chicken, turkey and their offal can also be given, but individually, paying attention to the reaction from the digestive system and skin. It is not advisable to feed chicken skin to dogs.

Meat, both beef and chicken, is always given raw, pre-frozen; there is no need to rinse it with boiling water or carry out other heat treatment on the meat. Meat should not be ground into mince.

By-products and beef tripe

Meat feeding a dog can include not only meat, but also by-products (kidneys, heart, udder, by-products of chickens, turkeys, etc.), which can completely replace meat. By-products must be raw. It should be borne in mind that offal is a less nutritious component of the meat diet compared to meat, but at the same time the udder is significantly higher in calories than meat

The exception is liver and lung; these by-products are not recommended to be given to the dog often, since not everyone tolerates raw liver equally well, and it makes no sense to treat it thermally. However, many people successfully use these components in the diet of dogs and cats. Unprocessed, unpeeled beef tripe deserves special attention; it is often given to dogs. You can start introducing meat into your diet with tripe, then gradually adding beef. Cleaned tripe is simply a lighter organ meat. However, not all dogs tolerate a particular meat component equally well, so if an ingredient is intolerant, which is manifested by diarrhea or vomiting, it should be removed from the diet, as well as if other components of the dog’s natural diet are not accepted.

Of course, one can become infected with one or another disease from one or another product, but rare cases of infection from raw, untested and not frozen meat do not allow one to be afraid of feeding a dog a raw product. It is unlikely that any veterinarian will be able to recall a case of infection from anything from meat. In addition, the concentration of hydrochloric acid in the stomach of carnivores is higher than in humans and is sufficient to perform its disinfecting functions in relation to raw meat and fish. We also do not recommend purchasing meat “from hand” at the Poultry Market, where you can buy products obtained from a known sick animal, and even freezing it will not help, and heat treatment of meat reduces the nutritional value of the product for the dog.

Fish in a dog's diet

Dogs can be given raw fillets of sea and oceanic frozen fish, not bony, low-fat varieties, replacing meat with seafood in meat feeding 2-3 times a week. However, it is not recommended to constantly feed fish.

There are several questions that are often asked regarding fish feeding:

1. Feeding fish leads to thiamine deficiency due to the thiaminase it contains;

The problem with thiaminase is relevant for animal farms, where there is mainly a mono-diet and if you feed only raw fish, there will be hypovitaminosis B1, and therefore this is almost not relevant for a home mixed diet.

Dairy products

Dogs can be given fermented milk products with a fat content of up to 9%; not everyone tolerates such fat content well. In many dogs, a fat content of cottage cheese of more than 2% can already cause loose stools. But low-fat dairy products should not be given either.

Also, loose stool may be associated with the brand of kefir, which must be selected more individually for sensitive dogs. Ryazhenka should not be given to dogs, nor should yoghurts with fruit or sugar.

The most optimal fermented milk products are cottage cheese with a fat content of up to 5-9%, kefir with a fat content of 3.5%, and yogurt, with a short shelf life of up to 7 days.

Using Evitalia and Narine starter cultures based on pasteurized milk, you can make a healthy fermented milk product that is useful not only for dogs and cats, but also for humans, and feed it either separately or together with cottage cheese.

Dividing dog food into fermented milk and meat

The main components of the diet are fermented milk products at one feeding and raw vegetables and raw meat with a small amount of butter at another. As mentioned above, vegetables can, if possible, be fed to the dog separately.

This means that fermented milk feeding can include either kefir alone, cottage cheese alone, or kefir with cottage cheese, curdled milk, yogurt, etc. It is advisable to give fermented milk products with a short shelf life, up to 7 days. Only bran and raw eggs can be added to dairy products no more than 2-3 times a week.

Meat feeding may include raw meat, offal or fish. You cannot mix the components of meat and fermented milk feeding with each other.

Vegetables in a dog's diet

Dogs can be fed most vegetables: carrots, white cabbage, bell peppers, pumpkin, zucchini, beets, cucumbers. It is useful to give greens: parsley, dill, lettuce.

Vegetables may be present in the feeding as a mono option, or there may be several types of vegetables, but one type of vegetable is quite sufficient, with the exception of cabbage and cucumbers.

Once a week, it is advisable to give the dog a raw clove of garlic, 2-3 times a week a few tablespoons of sauerkraut, which is very rich in ascorbic acid.

Greens and vegetables should always be given raw, finely chopped or grated on a regular coarse grater. In the summer, when keeping a dog at a dacha, you can feed any edible greens, including young shoots of steamed nettle growing in the garden. If the animal eats plants and fruits on its own, then you don’t need to add any extra.

Vegetables and greens should always be given only with meat feeding or separately. There is no need to mix raw plant foods with components of a fermented milk diet, with the exception of bran, which goes well with meat and dairy foods.

As a treat and as a source of raw fiber, dogs can be given vegetables or unsweetened fruit to chew on.

Bran (about bran, see below) in a dog’s diet can complement or even replace raw vegetables, especially in cases where the addition of vegetables leads to various types of indigestion (flatulence, vomiting, diarrhea).

Consistency of dog food

Dogs should not be given food in the form of minced meat or puree. The meat should be cut into pieces, hard vegetables grated on a large regular grater, greens and lettuce finely chopped. Dogs love to chew apples on their own; bran can be added to wet food, both dairy and meat. Dogs and cats do not chew food, but swallow it if the piece corresponds to the size of the animal or they bite off a piece that is accessible for swallowing - this is physiological for them and does not cause harm. In addition, ready-made ground meat contains too much fat. Even if the dog has few or no teeth, food can be given in chunks.

Eggs in a dog's diet

Eggs can be given raw, both chicken and quail, adding to milk feeding 2-3 times a week. Both puppies and adult dogs can and should be given both the yolk and the white, without separating.

Bran

Bran in a dog's diet, like vegetables, is a source of fiber and therefore it is recommended to add them to the dog's diet along with vegetables or replacing them.

The main advantage of bran is its high content of dietary fiber (fiber), which enhances peristalsis, regulates and improves the condition of intestinal microflora.

Bran can be purchased in bulk at health stores, pharmacies or grocery stores and added in this form to both fermented milk and meat feeding.

But fermented milk is preferable, since bran shows its maximum effect when it absorbs liquid and swells. Then, once in the stomach, the bran does not undergo any changes and, retaining water, enters the intestines, accelerating intestinal motility.

Or you can buy bran in the form of crispy sticks or bran plates and pre-soak them. You should not buy bran products, including crispy sticks with added salt. But at the same time, you can give bran combined with fiber from carrots and other vegetables. The amount of bran (in dry form) for a dog weighing 20-25 kg is 1 tsp. without a slide added to each feeding. The dose can be varied for greater effectiveness or for high sensitivity.

Oil in a dog's diet

Dogs can add different types of oils to their meat diet: olive, unrefined sunflower, pumpkin, flaxseed, etc., but exotic ones should be avoided. The main oils are unrefined sunflower and olive. Vegetable oils are added to the bowl where there are plant components of food (vegetables) in a dose of a few drops for a small dog and up to a tablespoon for a large dog.

Fruits and dried fruits

There should be no sweet fruits in a dog’s diet; dogs simply should not be given sweets. Almost all fruits are sweet, the only acceptable fruit is a green apple that is not too sweet, although there is no need to prohibit the dog from eating berries at the dacha.

Bones in a dog's diet

Raw bone is an important source of calcium and phosphorus; they are part of the canine diet and, of course, bones can be fed to dogs that have a full-fledged dental apparatus and do not have chronic diseases of the gastrointestinal tract. Large dogs are fed the ends (epiphyses) of bones; smaller dogs can be given spongy raw chicken bones: brisket, neck. It is not recommended to give boiled bones to dogs; they are difficult to digest, as they can cause intestinal obstruction.

Prebiotic and probiotic environment in the intestines. Carbohydrates in the diet

Probiotics are preparations based on living “good” microorganisms: lactobacilli and bifidobacteria, which remain viable when passing through the gastrointestinal tract, multiply in it and suppress the development of pathogenic bacteria.

Prebiotics are completely indigestible food ingredients that serve as a substrate, a nutrient medium for the growth and life of beneficial microorganisms in the intestine, and also stimulate its work.

In the absence of a prebiotic environment (indigestible fiber), the number of beneficial bacteria sharply decreases, since they lack the prebiotic environment they need for nutrition and their share in the intestinal microenvironment will be occupied by pathogenic strains of E. coli, yeast, etc., which, in essence, is a dysbacteriosis.

Cereals, bread, pasta are easily digestible carbohydrates (starch); dogs need complex carbohydrates of another type, which are found in raw vegetables or bran and which dogs and cats cannot digest. Carnivores cannot extract energy from complex carbohydrates and raw fiber; ruminants and herbivores “specialize” in this. It is raw vegetables and bran, or rather the indigestible fiber they contain, that create a prebiotic environment in the dog’s intestines, which is the basis and substrate for creating a probiotic environment and the formation of healthy intestinal microflora.

Moreover, if the dog has proper natural nutrition, then the dog, even without the use of probiotics, will eventually develop the correct probiotic environment and intestinal microflora, but only if the animal is healthy and free from congenital and acquired diseases of the gastrointestinal tract that require treatment and independent of the correct diet. It is for this reason that introducing probiotics into the diet of a dog that receives cereal or dry food does not bring the desired long-term results.

The role of the prebiotic environment in a dog’s diet is played by raw vegetables, which are best (but not necessarily) given to animals as a separate feeding, and also, when added to a dairy or meat diet, these components are compatible.

It is better to give dogs veterinary probiotics, only if they are not available, then try using human ones. It is possible to take probiotics prophylactically once every 3-4 months, but prebiotics must enter the digestive system constantly, especially since this is not a medicine, but a regular component of the diet.

At the same time, you need to understand that if the dog has proper nutrition and the dog is healthy, then without the use of probiotics in the intestines, over time, a healthy intestinal microflora will form on its own.

Is it possible to mix dry food and wet natural or canned food?

Mixing different types of feeding does not have any advantages over the strict principles of feeding a dog, in fact, dry food is designed to be fed exclusively. If you add other components throughout the day, then an imbalance is guaranteed. In addition, combining diets does not make any sense: either convenience or a natural diet.

Vitamins and mineral supplements

An adult dog that receives proper natural nutrition does not necessarily need to be supplemented with any vitamin and mineral supplements at all times. In spring and early summer, you can add dry yeast to your food, which is a natural complex of vitamins. You can also give seaweed (kelp) once a year as a natural source of vitamins, but you must take into account the possibility of an individual allergic reaction.

At the same time, puppies and adult dogs need vitamins and minerals during pregnancy and lactation. You can read more in this publication.

The total volume of food from all feedings per day is calculated using the formula: up to 6 months. 6-7% and older than 6 months. 3-3.5% of body weight (body weight is calculated without taking into account body fat, of course, approximately).

The resulting daily volume of food is divided in half between 50% fermented milk products, 50% raw meat and everything related to meat (beef offal, poultry, fish), raw plant foods are given ad libitum, but approximately 15-20% on the volume of meat portion. For example, for an average dog weighing 20 kg, you can eat a medium carrot, a cabbage leaf, two teaspoons of bran, a medium apple, etc. per day. Please note that vegetables and bran are supplements to the protein diet and are not included in the calculated percentages (6-8% and 3-4%).

An example of calculating the volume of food for a dog weighing 15 kg, age 6 months and older:

15x0.04*=0.6 kg. or 600 gr. Of these, 300 gr. this is cottage cheese and kefir, which will make up fermented milk feeding and meat feeding will consist of 300 grams. raw meat, to which about 100 grams are added. raw grated vegetables and 1-2 tsp. unrefined vegetable oil.

An example of calculating the amount of food for a dog weighing 15 kg, less than 6 months old:

15x0.07*=1 kg. or 1000 gr. Of these, 500 gr. This is cottage cheese and kefir, which will make up fermented milk feeding and meat feeding will consist of 500 grams. raw meat, to which about 100-150 grams are added. raw grated vegetables and 1-2 tsp. unrefined vegetable oil.

* — Coefficient obtained by dividing 4 and 7% by 100

This formula is not absolute and mandatory, the dog’s feeding regimen, and the amount of food can also vary depending on the physiological state (pregnancy, breed tendency to be overweight, the presence of hormonal disorders, etc.); age: for old and aging animals, the amount of food is reduced to 2.5-3% of weight; from physical activity (duration of walking, office work, swimming); the animal’s habitat (apartment, open enclosure); time of year (more in winter, less in summer); other individual characteristics, etc. Fasting days without meat at all, but also without increasing the dose of dairy foods, are also welcome.

Are there breed specific characteristics of a dog's diet?

There are no fundamental features for a healthy dog ​​of any breed, regardless of size and anatomical discrepancies with the ancestor of canines - the wolf. A sick animal may need correction, but this requires individual work with the pet.

Afterword

As you can see, among the indicated food components there are no dry or wet commercial feeds, cereals in the form of porridges, breads or other carbohydrate foods. They are not recommended for dogs, just as feeding sweet, sugary fruits and everything else is not recommended.

The main mistake that owners make in feeding dogs is overfeeding. Even if the recommended components are kept, but their volume is greater than the norm, then this is as harmful as feeding the dog unacceptable products.

You should follow a simple rule that works in most cases - if after eating food a dog or cat leaves any amount of it in the bowl, this means that the animal is already overfed. The bowl should not be constantly filled, as is often the case. Only an animal with a moderate feeding instinct will not overeat in conditions of unlimited access to food.

An animal that experiences health problems (diarrhea, regular vomiting) while eating natural food is sick and requires treatment. Switching to dry food will only adapt the animal to the disease, and will not relieve it. This is like a diet that makes life easier, which has the right to be used in the practice of a veterinarian, especially in cases where the animal’s health condition is irreparable or the doctor is not able to cope with the pathology with a natural diet. Owners need to understand this.

Therefore, the question - What to feed a dog can be answered this way: only natural food that contains everything necessary for the body of a carnivorous animal. And all the talk about the domestication of the dog is nothing more than talk: the dog, like the wolf, was and will remain a dog and a wolf. It is also necessary to know that the recommendations of breeders or felinologists, as well as the popular literature written by them on keeping and feeding cats, have nothing to do with objectively correct methods of feeding, because the reason for such recommendations is partly due to ignorance and lack of understanding of the biological nature of dogs and cats, and, partly to reduce the cost or simplify the maintenance of the animal.

If you follow all the above feeding rules, your pet will live a long and healthy life.

Health to you and your little brothers.

In addition to proteins, carbohydrates and fats, the diet must contain vitamins necessary for maintaining health and normal functioning. Lack, excess or complete absence of vitamins in feed leads to vitamin deficiencies - non-contagious diseases.

Vitamin A (retinol). It is present in products in pure form and in the form of carotene - provitamin A. It is necessary for dogs to maintain the normal structure of the epithelial, nervous and other tissues of the body, provides a number of vital physiological functions - growth, development, vision.

The vitamin A requirement of dogs is on average 100-200 IU per 1 kg of body weight. At least 1/3 of the need for this vitamin must be satisfied by the vitamin itself, and 2/3 by the provitamin - betacarotene (1 IU corresponds to 0.3 mcg of pure vitamin A or 2 mcg of betacarotene). The site where carotene is converted into vitamin A, which is stored in the liver, is the wall of the small intestine.

With a lack of vitamin A in the diet, intense keratinization (keratinization) of epithelial tissue occurs, pathological changes are observed in the skin and mucous membranes of the respiratory tract, digestive tract and generative organs.

Lack of vitamin A causes degenerative changes in the nervous tissue, leading to impaired coordination of movements, muscle weakness, etc. Vitamin deficient dogs often experience reproductive dysfunction: in males, sterility appears due to degeneration of the epithelium of the testes, in females - disturbances in the reproductive cycle, accompanied by keratinization epithelium of the birth canal, poor fertility and with prolonged A-vitamin starvation, fetal resorption, abortion or the birth of weak, non-viable offspring occurs. To ensure normal reproduction of breeding dogs during the period of preparation for mating, during pregnancy and lactation of bitches, the vitamin A nutritional value of the diet is increased by 1.5-2 times compared to the minimum requirement for dogs during the resting period.

Vitamin B (calciferol) is an antirachitic vitamin. It takes part in the regulation of calcium and phosphorus metabolism, in the growth and mineralization of bone tissue, and accelerates the absorption of calcium in the intestine.

The average requirement of dogs for vitamin B is 7-20 IU per 1 kg of body weight. In puppies and young dogs the need is higher, in adults it is lower. This need increases in pregnant and lactating bitches.

With a lack of vitamin B in the diet, puppies suffer from rickets, which manifests itself in skeletal deformation, curvature of tubular bones, spine and chest due to insufficient ossification. The composition of the blood also changes, since the content of inorganic phosphorus decreases greatly (up to 20-25%) with a small change in the calcium content. In this respect, rickets differs from tetany, in which the calcium content in the blood drops sharply, but the phosphorus content remains normal.

In adult dogs with a lack of vitamin B, osteomalacia is observed - a painful softening of the bones. One of the important reasons for the development of vitamin D deficiency is depriving a dog of sun. Under the influence of ultraviolet rays, vitamin B is formed from ergosterol (provitamin B) in the skin.

For the prevention and treatment of B-vitamin deficiency, ergocalciferol preparations and fish oil are used. Large doses of vitamin B (1 thousand IU or more per 1 kg of body weight) have a toxic effect on the body.

Vitamin E (tocopherol). Maintains the normal state of reproductive functions in the dog's body, the development of striated muscles, the resistance of red blood cells to hemolysis, cellular respiration and other physiological functions.

The minimum requirement for vitamin E is on average 2 mg per 1 kg of body weight. The need for it increases when feeding dogs food with a large amount of polyunsaturated fatty acids contained in fish.

Vitamin E deficiency causes morphological changes in the reproductive organs and leads to infertility. In females, the embryo dies or is absorbed due to the accumulation of toxic substances in fat metabolism in the body; in males, spermogenesis and the formation of sex hormones are disrupted, and sperm become less mobile. With a chronic lack of vitamin E, muscular dystrophy occurs as a result of metabolic disorders in muscle and nervous tissues. In dogs with vitamin E, increasing muscle weakness, incoordination of movements and paralysis of the limbs are observed.

To prevent vitamin E deficiency, vitamin E and selenite are given alternately. Sodium selenite is introduced into the feed at a dose of 0.1 mg per 1 kg of dry weight of feed. The main food source of vitamin E is vegetable oil, especially unrefined oil. Vitamin E is found in buckwheat and oatmeal.

Vitamin K (phylloquinone) is an antihemorrhagic vitamin. It is involved in blood clotting processes and is necessary for the synthesis of functionally active forms of prothrombin and other proteins in the liver.

The minimum requirement for vitamin K for adult dogs is on average 30 mcg, for puppies and young dogs - 60 mcg per 1 kg of live weight.

With a lack of vitamin K in the diet, subcutaneous hemorrhage is observed - hemorrhages in the neck, chest, legs and other places. The cause of vitamin K deficiency is impaired absorption of vitamin K due to intestinal disease. K-vitaminosis develops with diseases of the liver and bile ducts.

White cabbage, spinach, pumpkin and tomatoes are rich in vitamin K. Vikasol is used as a K-vitamin preparation. Bitches are given it twice before whelping - 10 and 5 days in a dose of no more than 1 mg per day. In large doses, the drug is toxic and can cause dyspepsia, vomiting and increased salivation.

Vitamin C (ascorbic acid) takes part in the metabolic processes of the dog’s body. It is necessary for the formation of collagen, which is part of the main substance (endothelium) of blood vessels and connective tissue and for the synthesis of corticosteroids in the adrenal glands. Vitamin C helps to improve the absorption of iron in the intestines and affects the glycoregulatory and antitoxic functions of the liver, and protects dogs from scurvy.

Dogs' requirement for vitamin C is 1 mg per 1 kg of body weight. For pregnant and lactating bitches, this rate is increased by 25-50%. Severe forms of vitamin C are characterized by a sharp increase in the permeability of the vascular wall, leading to multiple hemorrhages in the skin, internal organs, etc. With hypovitaminosis C, bleeding gums and hypochromic anemia are observed.

Sources of vitamin C are mainly vegetables, which is why every NaturalFoodForDogs daily meal recipe contains vegetables and fruits with vitamin C.

Vitamin B1 (thiamine) plays an important role in carbohydrate metabolism. If there is insufficient intake of thiamine into the dog's body, the breakdown of carbohydrates stops at the stage of pyruvic acid, which, accumulating in the blood and tissues, exhibits a toxic effect and causes dysfunction of the central nervous system and muscle activity. The average requirement of dogs for vitamin B is 20-30 mcg per 1 kg of body weight. In puppies and young dogs this need is higher, in adults it is lower. If there is a lack of thiamine in the diet, dogs lose their appetite, experience indigestion, muscle weakness, impaired coordination of movements, paralysis and convulsions occur.

One of the important causes of thiamine deficiency is one-sided feeding of finely ground grain products with an excess of carbohydrates and raw fish in the diet.

The richest in thiamine are bread and baked goods made from wholemeal flour, cereals (buckwheat, oatmeal, millet), liver and other meat by-products, as well as yeast, especially brewer's yeast, which is used in medicinal practice as an additional source of B vitamins. In preventive and therapeutic For this purpose, synthetic preparations of vitamin B are used (thiamine chloride and thiamine bromide, which are highly soluble in water and have low toxicity.

Vitamin B 2 (riboflavin) takes part in enzyme systems that ensure redox processes in the body, as well as in carbohydrate and fat metabolism and amino acid metabolism.

The optimal requirement for riboflavin for adult dogs is on average 40 mcg, for puppies and young dogs - 90 mcg per 1 kg of body weight. For pregnant and active bitches, the dose of riboflavin is increased. With increasing fat feeding, the need for riboflavin approximately doubles.

If there is a lack of riboflavin in the food, hair loss, hair depigmentation, vomiting, bloody diarrhea, and muscle weakness are observed. In the hot season, the disease is characterized by dermatitis, damage to the mucous membranes of the lips with vertical cracks and seborrheic peeling of the skin around the mouth, nose and ears. Dogs that do not receive riboflavin in their food die.

Of the feedstuffs, feed and brewer's yeast, milk, liver and kidneys are richest in riboflavin. Fish, grains, and vegetables contain little riboflavin.

Vitamin B 3 (vitamin PP, nicotinamide, nicotinic acid). Participates in redox processes in the cell, especially during the transfer of hydrogen, as well as in the construction of coenzymes that are part of the redox enzymes - dihydrogenases, the total number of which in the body of dogs is more than 100. They oxidize mainly lactic, malic, glutamic and other acids. B 3 is directly involved in the metabolism of proteins, fats, carbohydrates and energy.

It is found in grain crops and oilseeds in a bound, difficult to use form. In foods of animal origin, on the contrary, it is well absorbed: fish, liver, kidneys and heart, meat and bone meal, dairy products and yeast. The requirement is 0.24 mg in adult dogs and 0.4 mg in puppies per 1 kg of body weight. With vitamin deficiency RR, pellagra, “blacktongue” (black tongue) develops, vomiting, bloody feces, and ulcers on the body are sometimes observed.

Vitamin B 4 (choline) takes part in the metabolism of phospholipids and sulfur-containing amino acids, and is part of acetylcholine, the most important transmitter of nervous excitation. It protects the liver from fatty infiltration and helps remove excess fat from the liver.

The optimal need for choline in dogs is: for adults - 33 mg, for puppies and young dogs - 55 mg per 1 kg of body weight.

A lack of choline in the diet causes fatty liver, which leads to the development of necrosis with subsequent proliferation of connective tissue. The consequence of choline deficiency can be hemorrhagic renal degeneration.

Choline in dogs is synthesized from the essential amino acid methionine and partly betaine, so choline deficiency is most often observed when dogs are fed foods low in methionine.

There is a lot of choline in the liver, brain, meat and yeast. For prevention, dogs are given 30-40 mg of choline chloride, for treatment - 50-70 mg per 1 kg of body weight.

Vitamin B 5 (pantothenic acid, calcium pantothenate). The absorption of pantothenic acid by the body is stimulated by vitamins B 12 and C. Vitamin B 5 is sensitive to heat, up to 50% is lost during heat treatment, so cook for your pets only over low heat and do not use strong heat treatment of foods. Vitamin B entering the body is converted into pantethine, which is part of coenzyme A, which plays an important role in the processes of oxidation and acetylation.

A lack of vitamin B5 in the diet leads to inhibition of antibody production, causes growth retardation, skin lesions - dermatitis, gastrointestinal disorders, and provokes dysfunction of the central nervous system. It develops when there is a lack of food intake, a high fat content in the feed or a violation of the synthesis of vitamin B5, when fed with dry and boiled food. Contained in yeast, cattle liver, chicken eggs, cow's milk, rice bran, potatoes, carrots, fodder beets.

The optimal need for pantothenic acid in adult dogs is 0.05 mg, in young animals - 0.2 mg per 1 kg of live weight.

Vitamin B 6 (pyridoxine). The biological role of pyridoxine is determined by its participation in amino acid metabolism and the construction of the enzyme phosphorylase, which breaks down glycogen. It is necessary for the conversion of linoleic acid into arachidonic acid in the dog's body.

The average optimal need for pyridoxine in dogs is: adults - 20 mcg, puppies - 50 mcg per 1 kg of body weight.

If there is a lack of pyridoxine in the diet, dermatitis diseases with damage to the mucous membranes that cannot be treated with nicotinic acid are observed (seborrheic dermatitis, angular stomatitis, cheilosis, glossitis, degeneration of the heart muscle and anemia).

Vitamin B 12 (cyanocobalamin) takes part in hematopoiesis, the work of red bone marrow and the biosynthesis of nucleic acids, affects growth, activation of protein metabolism, and promotes the absorption of amino acids.

The optimal requirement for cyanocobalamin in dogs is 0.7 mcg per 1 kg of body weight. For prevention, it is recommended to give 3-5 mcg of this vitamin, for therapeutic purposes - 10-15 mcg per 1 kg of body weight. The vitamin preparation is non-toxic and does not cause hypervitaminosis when administered excessively into the body.

With a lack of vitamin B 12, dogs develop macrocytic hypochromic anemia with damage to the nervous system and digestive organs.

Sources of vitamin B 12 are the liver of animals and fish (especially cod), cottage cheese and milk. This vitamin is absent in plant foods.

Vitamin Bc (folacin) is a product of the interaction of pteridine, para-aminobenzoic and glutamic acids; it is an antianemic factor. The optimal folacin requirement for dogs is 15 mcg in adults and 8 mcg per 1 kg of body weight in puppies. The maximum dose of folic acid is 2 mg per 1 kg of body weight.

A lack of folacin in the diet is accompanied by the development of hypochromic anemia with symptoms of leukothrombocytopenia and leads to damage to the digestive organs (stomatitis, gastritis, enteritis). Folacin deficiency often occurs in dogs when they are treated with sulfonamides, which slow down the synthesis of the vitamin in the intestines.

Folacin is found in yeast, liver, cauliflower, buckwheat and oatmeal, millet and beans. Heat processing leads to significant loss of folacin, which is why we do not use it in our recipes.

Vitamin H (biotin) in dogs’ bodies regulates the condition of the skin and takes part in carbohydrate, lipid and purine metabolism.

The requirement for biotin is on average 0.5 mg per 1 kg of body weight. If there is a lack of biotin in the diet, dogs develop a kind of dermatitis - the soles of their feet become rough, calloused, bleeding cracks appear on them, and hair loss occurs. Paralysis of the hind limbs may occur.

If there is insufficient biotin in the diet, 1 mg of biotin is given for 5 days, after which the dogs recover. Biotin is found in yeast, liver and kidneys of animals. When cooking food, about half of the vitamin is destroyed.

The optimal requirement of adult dogs and puppies for vitamins per 1 kg of body weight is given in the table from the textbook by S.N. Khokhrin.

The activity of vitamin preparations used in feeding dogs is calculated in weight and international units (IU). To convert the activity of vitamins from international units to weight units and vice versa, you must use the following data:

Vitamin A:

1 IU vitamin A = 0.33 mcg vitamin A;

1 mcg vitamin A = 3.3 IU vitamin A;

1 IU vitamin A = 1 mcg total carotenoids or 0.6 mcg beta carotene.

Vitamin D:

IU of vitamin D 2 and = 0.025 μg of vitamins D 2 and D 3;

1 mcg of vitamins D 2 and D 3 = 40 IU of vitamins D 2 and D 3;

1 IU of vitamin D 3 = 30 IU of vitamin D 2;

1 mcg of vitamin D 3 = 30 mcg of vitamin D 2;

1 IU of vitamin D 2 = 0.033 IU of vitamin D 3;

1 mcg of vitamin D 3 = 1200 IU of vitamin D 2.

Vitamin E:

1 mcg vitamin E = 1 IU vitamin E.

Vitamin B 2:

1 mcg of vitamin B2 = 0.4 IU of vitamin B2;

1 IU of vitamin B2 = 2.5 mcg of vitamin B2.

To satisfy the physiological norm of dogs for vitamins, it is necessary to add vitamin preparations in liquid form drop by drop to the food, taking into account the content of 20-30 drops in 1 ml, 2-3 drops in 0.1 ml, 2-3 drops in 0.05 ml 1-1.5 drops.

The main debate among dog lovers is dry food or natural food? It is comparable to the debate between vegetarians and meat lovers, and most likely will never be resolved.

Veterinarians give the right of choice to the pet owner. And if you are one of those who prefer to prepare food from natural ingredients, you need to clearly know what is allowed and what is better to exclude from the diet.

Before making a choice, keep in mind that switching your pet’s diet from one mode to another is undesirable and difficult. Firstly, this will have to be done gradually, and secondly, the dog may refuse the “new” food.

Needs and diet

To ensure normal metabolism, the daily nutrient intake requires protein, carbohydrates, fats and water. The selection of quantity and volume is individual, depending on age, weight, breed, season. On average, the amount of protein and fat should be half of the total food, the rest should be carbohydrates. Don't forget about vitamins and mineral supplements.

The cornerstone in the question of how to feed natural food is the correct distribution of products and the choice of the optimal volume. Up to six months, the dog should eat food in the amount of 7% of its body weight; after a year, the volume should be halved.

As a rule, the straight menu is monotonous. Only the type of food and the order of distribution changes. Main ingredients: low-fat fermented milk products, lean meat and offal, vegetables and fruits. Cereal products are used as additives, which are not recommended to be given too much and often due to the harmful effects on the body. Carbohydrates contained in cereals are easily absorbed by the body and can disrupt the intestinal microflora.

What to feed your dog naturally

• Low-fat meat dishes from chicken, turkey, beef. The meat can be given raw or scalded with boiling water. Do not feed pork to your pet. It is recommended to alternate with boiled sea fish. Liver, hearts, and lungs should be given no more than once a week.
• Porridge. Give preference to buckwheat, rice and millet. Eliminate the rest.
• Thermally untreated vegetables - cabbage, zucchini, carrots, fruits - apples. Greens (parsley, dill) are useful.
• Kefir, fermented baked milk, yogurt, and cottage cheese are used as snacks and tasty additions. You should not pour milk to your dog - it is poorly digested and negatively affects the functioning of the gastrointestinal tract.

Menu for the day

So, a dog’s diet consists of three food groups. They must be included in your daily diet. Menu example:

Breakfast. After a walk, give your pet corn grits porridge (alternate weekly with other types). It can be cooked in water or broth. Then add the grated apple, but not the sweet one. In addition to easily digestible iron, this fruit contains various beneficial acids that prevent the development of obesity, liver and gall bladder diseases.

The third breakfast ingredient is cottage cheese, which can be flavored with fermented baked milk. Fermented milk contains more protein than meat. In addition, it is processed more quickly by the stomach and reduces the accumulation of fat in the liver.

Dinner. The second meal must be expanded to four components: meat, buckwheat porridge, vegetables, bran.

The meat should be cut into not too small pieces. If the dog doesn’t particularly like raw food, it is recommended to pour boiling water over it for 3 minutes. Thus, the top layer will be boiled, and the middle will be raw.

From vegetables, choose carrots, a week later cabbage, after another time - beets, etc. Season with corn oil. It is better to mix small portions of bran with porridge. Also add herbs.

Foods that should be excluded:

• Sweets, coffee, tea - contain caffeine, which affects the heart and nervous system.
• Citrus fruits, grapes, raisins, persimmons - in large quantities cause nausea and vomiting.
• Potatoes and rhubarb have a detrimental effect on digestion.
• Raw eggs and fish lead to a deficiency of vitamins or impede their absorption.
• Onions and garlic cause anemia.